Florence Simmons Performance Hall presents “Break Free!”

March 13, 2017

Two new choral ensembles take to the stage at the Florence Simmons Performance Hall on March 16 to present Break Free!, a concert offering some upbeat and familiar songs to send everyone off on March break.

The ensembles are comprised of students, alumni, faculty, and staff from a number of Holland College campuses. The 22-member Holland College Singers are directed by Pamela Campbell and accompanied by Liam Payne. The nine-member Hollogram is an a cappella group, also directed by Campbell.

Although both groups sang a couple of songs at an informal lunchtime performance last November, “Break Free!” is their first official public concert and the singers are excited to share their harmonies with members of the general public, as well as their friends and family. In some cases, though, family members are going to be right up onstage together. One of the second sopranos in Holland College Singers is joined by her husband and son, both of whom are basses in the group. There’s another couple in Holland College Singers, in addition to a mother-daughter combo in the soprano section. Two sisters form part of Hollogram. Friendships, old and new, have flourished since the two ensembles began gathering for their weekly Thursday night rehearsals last September.

The programming for Break Free! will include selections ranging from the Beatles’ With a Little Help from My Friends to Cohen’s Hallelujah to a couple of tunes made popular by Pentatonix. Although for most of the concert the Holland College Singers and Hollogram will perform separately, they will team up for a couple of numbers.

Admission to Break Free! is by donation at the door. The concert takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 16, with the doors opening at 7 p.m. The storm date is March 30. The Florence Simmons Performance Hall is located at Holland College’s Prince of Wales campus at 140 Weymouth Street in Charlottetown.